I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you;
let me be full,
let me be empty,
let me have all things,
let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours. So be it.
And the covenant now made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Pender’s Vision Statement:

By following Jesus and reaching out to others, we seek God’s transformation of ourselves and our world.

January 1: New Directions Sunday School Class. We meet in Rooms 218-220 at 9:30 AM. If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson If any questions, feel free to contact Carol Wilson by email or at (703) 815-1744.

January 1: The 11:00am Sunday School Class is very excited to announce its new study of C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.” This is a timeless Christian classic that is as thought provoking today as it was when it was first released, and promises to spur great discussions about our faith, our church, and our nation. Contact Angie Green for more information.

We are providing lap afghans for wounded warriors who visit Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, VA. Hand knitted and crocheted lap afghans can be dropped in the camo box located in the Narthex before Feb. 28, 2017.

From sea to shining sea, United Methodists are finding special ways to observe Memorial Day in the United States. Here is a sampling of ideas.

Pray for all who have given their lives for our freedom. “The major emphasis of the Memorial Day worship time,” said the Rev. Alan Brown, Hayes Memorial United Methodist Church, Fremont, Ohio, “is not on a secular observance; rather, it is the message of the gospels and the sacraments of the church.”

Read the names of fallen veterans, and toll a bell after each name is read. The Rev. Walter L. Graves encourages people to read the names when they see a war memorial. “Remember,” said the pastor of Reelsboro United Methodist Church, New Bern, N.C., “that was a person who had… dreams and desires.”

Provide special worship music with a PowerPoint presentation. “My church has a slide show of friends and family, living and dead, who have served in the military,” reported Leslie Haggs, lay leader at Angelica United Methodist Church in New York.

Offer a candlelight service. Bishop James Swanson of the Holston Annual (regional) Conference will preach at joint services of three congregations — Mount Wesley and New Victory, Telford, Tenn., and Mayberry, Jonesborough, Tenn. A candlelight service for those interred in the church cemetery will be part of worship.

Wave a flag. Youth of First United Methodist Church, Koppel, Pa., raised money to buy an American flag for all 225 residences in the little town. “I’m a flag-waver,” admitted the Rev. Donald A. Anderson. Quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he expressed hope that the flags would “bring Koppel a sense of pride in participating in this great holiday honoring those who fought to protect our freedoms.”

At Arlington (Va.) National Cemetary, flags decorate the tombs of those who died in the service of their country. Photo courtesy of Arlington National Cemetery.

Lay a wreath. In Illinois, Malta United Methodist Church will have a special worship service. The congregation invites veterans of the community to pay tribute to fellow soldiers by marching as a unit from the church to the township library, where a wreath will be dedicated.

Decorate veterans’ graves. “After Sunday service,” said the Rev. Charlie Johnson Jr., a local pastor serving three congregations in the Lynchburg, Va., area, “we go into the church cemetery, remove the old flags placed on the graves of veterans last Memorial Day and replace them with new ones…We remember our active-duty military every Sunday during prayer.”

Do a project for active troops. In Maine, the North Searsport United Methodist Church is recruiting the community to join parishioners in a mission project to benefit soldiers going overseas. Participants will sew small pillows for military personnel. The project is in response to recent articles about soldiers having to pay for pillows on their flights.

Make military care packages. The congregation of First United Methodist Church, Alice, Texas, brought items for military care packages to mail to troops serving overseas. “Many of us have loved ones who are serving in the military,” member Stefany Simmons explained. “Each of us signed cards to include for the troops.”

Be part of a community-service day. Manatee United Methodist Church is one of two Bradenton, Fla., locations for the Journey of Remembrance, an annual community-service day honoring U.S. military veterans and their families for their care and sacrifice.

Parades are one way to honor those who sacrifice daily for our freedom. A web-only photo by Dee Dee Cobb.

Learn about issues affecting veterans. At Christ United Methodist Church, Troy, N.Y., a guest speaker will focus on the history and social justice issues related to military mental illness. “At Christ Church,” said the Rev. Nina Nichols in the Bennington Banner, “we honor those who serve their country, who served with the hope of bringing justice on behalf of our nation. But as a people of faith, we must not fail to call for a better way to peace than war. This Memorial Day we pray for peace for the war-weary.”

Glorify Jesus as the Prince of Peace and reach out to those whom others may forget. On Memorial Day – as he does throughout the year – John Alexander, a member of East Lake United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Ala., will be involved with Kairos Prison Ministries. A Christian, lay-led, ecumenical, volunteer, international prison ministry, Kairos brings Christ’s love and forgiveness to incarcerated individuals and their families.

*Dunlap-Berg is internal content editor for United Methodist Communications.

In the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Allied nations and Germany declared an armistice – a temporary cessation of hostilities – in World War I. Commemorated as Armistice Day the next year, Nov. 11 became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. After World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to U.S. veterans of all wars.

Now is the perfect time for congregations to engage in ministry with active troops and the families left behind.

We have been glad to hear that our new earlier hour of meeting is very popular! This upcoming SNC will give all of us the opportunity to express our appreciation for our members of the military.

We not only are inviting all Pender military members to attend this service, but we will also have the privilege of hearing two members of the military share about their experiences in serving our country.

In addition, Kay Creel of Pender’s Military Ministry will present some scarves and lap afghans knitted by our Prayer Shawl Ministry, which will be blessed by Pastor Kenny before being sent to deserving members of the military.

We have been glad to hear that our new earlier hour of meeting is very popular! This upcoming SNC will give all of us the opportunity to express our appreciation for our members of the military.

We not only are inviting all Pender military members to attend this service, but we will also have the privilege of hearing two members of the military share about their experiences in serving our country.

In addition, Kay Creel of Pender’s Military Ministry will present some scarves and lap afghans knitted by our Prayer Shawl Ministry, which will be blessed by Pastor Kenny before being sent to deserving members of the military.

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on February 11, 2018. The topic was Up the Foggy Mountain. Our integrity is put to the test every day, in virtually every situation. We are being watched closely to see how we will respond. The choice of our walk matching our talk, our behavior matching our beliefs, our character matching our confession is left to us. Wh […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . Our integrity is put to the test every day, in virtually every situation. We are being watched closely to see how we will respond. The choice of our walk matching our talk, our behavior matching our beliefs, our character matching our confession is left to us. What will we do? We begin to wrap up this part of our serie […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on January 28, 2018. The topic was When Relationships are Broken. For many reasons, ours is a “throw away” society. When things break . . . we throw them away . . . and then we look around for a replacement. So what do we do when the “thing” that breaks is a relationship? Relationships are so valuable and yet so difficul […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services on January 21, 2018. The topic was When the Cultural Driver is Greed. Jesus asks his listeners, “Why are you worried about your clothing? . . . Why are you worried about what you can gather into your barn?” Our retort may well be, “Of course we worry . . . who doesn’t?” What if we don’t have the right outfit for the righ […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . In Monopoly, we know we’re doing well when we have lots of money, houses, and hotels. In Checkers, we know we’re doing well when we have more of our opponent's pieces than they have of ours. And when we play Follow the Leader, we know we’re doing well when we do what they do and go where they go. How do we know we […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . Leading is hard, whether in our home, our workplace, or whatever our sphere of influence may be. What does that look like? Who’s in charge anyway? We naturally look to others for these and other answers, when really the solution might be found within. Join us as we wrestle with these questions from Matthew 3:13-17. Sc […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services . December 24th , the fourth Sunday of Advent – the last of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. “A Christmas Carol” moves through dramatic shifts and turns, murky darkness and hoped for light. How will it end? Our journey to Christmas Day has its own shifts and turns, and as we near the finis […]

Pastor Dan preached at all 3 services . December 17th , the third Sunday of Advent – the second of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. Scrooge meets with the Ghost of Christmas Present, and is shown an alternative way of seeing reality that is normally hidden under the ways of the world. Upon learning that she is to bear God’s So […]

Pastor Jay preached at all 3 services . December 10th , the second Sunday of Advent – the first of a three part sermon series entitled “The Redemption of Scrooge”. Can it be that the novelist Charles Dickens has important insights into our preparation for the Christ Child? Scrooge is visited by the “spirit of Christmas past”, and his life begins to change. T […]